164 travelers at this place:

Had a wonderful stay in Dresden. Dresden was bombed many times by the allied forces during the war and destroyed - it burnt for 5 days. Most of the old building were destroyed or just left with part of the shell. Dresden was then part of Eastern Germany under communism. Since then amazingly Dresden has now been restored and a large percentage of the old building have now been rebuilt - as they originally were. it's quite extraordinary but amazing. Our internet is very patchy for the next week or so, so post are sporadic.Read more

Dresden is a beautiful city with magnificent buildings. It is hard to believe that it has all been rebuilt after being bombed at the end of WWII. For decades, the communist regime of East Germany refused to rebuild the most historic and well-known landmark of Dresden -- the Frauenkirche church. Its ruins remained untouched as a symbol against war and as a memorial for those who were killed. It was only after the fall of the Berlin Wall that restoration and rebuilding began.The rebuilding of the church and other sights and monuments was mainly due to the financial support coming from western German states and according to a volunteer at the church from a lot of rich people. Some buildings were constructed in a modern way, others were totally rebuilt, based on old photos and the use of original stones found in the rubble. The restoration of the city has not been completed yet. There are construction sites throughout the city. We did a great Hop on Hop off bus tour which took us over the Elbe River with great views of the Upper Elbe Valley and its trio of castles - Albrechtsberg Castle, Lingner Castle (aka Villa Stockhausen) and Eckberg Castle - located adjacent to one another. Lots of restaurants to choose from and good food. We want Al to order a pork knuckle (huge) but so far he has resisted. We head to Prague tomorrow for six days and then back to Germany so it's not too late for that pork knuckle Al 😆Read more

Eckberg castle is where our hotel is today, toured Dresden and got a history lesson in how the American bombs turned the city to rumble that burned for 5 days and left only one bridge remaining across the river. Tonight we have dinner in the castle. So much to see in this big world we live in. Riots in Chemnitz Germany 42 miles away, over immigration, same problems we have in USA.Read more

General driving...it isn't hard but it us a bit different to Australia, (and not just riding on the other side of the road). And you do have to get right, well, right enough to make it home.

Driving in Europe is based on "priority" which I guess is a little bit like "right-of-way" back home. And I do mean a "little" bit. Basically on an unregulated intersection anyone coming from your right has "priority" to continue. It doesn't matter if you are on a major road, if not regulated by signs they have priority. Priority on your road is shown by a yellow diamond, end of priority is shown by the same diamond with a black diagonal line crossing through it. Now what does this mean. It means be careful and don't take anything for granted because whilst you might be on a priority road there maybe:

1. An "older" European (insert French, German, Italian) driver who has always had priority and doesn't give a damn about these new (after WW2) road rules and people always stop for me any way; or
2. A tourist from (insert Australia, New Zealand, UK etc.) has just arrived and it can't be that different from home.

Speed limits - if I make it home without a fine, well it will be pure luck. As you approach a village/town it will have its name on a yellow rectangular sign. Miss this and you've missed the 50kmh speed limit sign...yep that's all you get. There's lots of fixed cameras and hopefully they are all forward facing (for those that don't ride a bike...no front number plate! ☺). Same when your leaving town, same town sign but with a diagonal black line through it. Now this might mean it's 70kmh, 90kmh or 100kmh but never mind as the helpful truck driver behind you will let you know if you are going too slow. He'll use the international signal (flashing his lights) to signify "your going too slow you tourist knobhead". He will actually be the same truck driver that used the international signal (gesticulating by slapping his left hand against his right bicep whilst honking his horn - see the pic) for "your going to fast you tourist knobhead" when you passed him on the way into town. Note: that pic is not the actual truck driver but probably his better looking cousin. Ohh, if your not sure what the guesture means GOOGLE " BRAS D'HONNEUR.

Other things that make driving interesting. Tram tracks....sometimes the tack gap is just big enough to fit a front tyre into. This is great because you now have an automomous motorbike that self-steers. Cobblestones, just the thing to massage your sore ass after a few hours in the saddle, and to helpfully deodorise your clothes because the shampoo bottle leaked all over them - ust add water when you get to the motel.

City streets (including roundabouts) that have no lane markings but manage to fit 2 cars, a bus, a motorbike and a pushbike in a space that really isn't quite big enough.But where there is a will, well you'll probably find a French man or woman.

Oh yes, in farming areas tractors, harvesters and people walking cows apparently have automatic priority, even in the town itself - I've seen it!!!

Now quickly.....signs.

Ausfahrt..means ironically (see the reference to clothes peg for nose) an exit to nowhere, but usually a roadside parking spot with, maybe, a toilet. Two hints, bring your own paper/clothes peg to use on your nose, and when you see one stop. Europe is not big on public toilets - even the service stations charge you to use them!!!!

The sign with the guy in the overcoat, no idea but I'm guessing there is a serial flasher near Hannover.

Apparently you can go in any direction and still get where you want to go. Autres Directions means Other Directions and Toutes Directions means All Directions..buggered if I know.

Note to self. Do not start reading Maurice's blog, while at work in a quiet office. I had people wondering what the suppressed noises were coming out of my office. 😂

August 18, 2016

Hey Maurice the road signs are no different from those in Qld in sofar as being confusing. You've obviously mastered them so far. I asked Monique the difference btwn Toute directions and Autre directions which she explained very well. However I still don't know what they mean.

I decided to stay in Dresden for two nights for a couple of reasons. 1 - it's quite a nice hotel and I felt like a rest. 2 - a full day gives you more time to explore. Dresden, although dating back to the 12th century, is quite a modern city mixing old and new. It came under sustained bombing during WW2 (damn mentioned it again) and so lost a lot of heritage. Amazingly there are some beautiful old cathedrals and other buildings remaining intact. My photos don't do them justice.

I spent a lot of time walking (did 18 kms today) and getting lost - a lot of fun.

Had a traditional German dinner of cold pork, pickles, egg (and other stuff) on a dark, very dark, bread followed by desert made of potatoes and curd rolled in sugar and fried. It tasted ok. Potatoes for desert, who would have thought.

Found a bike shop I hope will be able to supply me with replacement speakers/audio for my helmet comms. Will try and pick up in the morning before I head into the Czech Republic.

Dresden, capital of the eastern German state of Saxony, is distinguished by the celebrated art museums and classic architecture of its reconstructed old town. Completed in 1743 and rebuilt after WWII, the baroque church Frauenkirche is famed for its grand dome. The Versailles-inspired Zwinger palace houses museums including Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, exhibiting masterpieces of art like Raphael’s “Sistine Madonna.”

We strolled around the city that is called the German Florence because of its general appearance. It is a magnificent city centre. Wherever you look all is beautiful! Despite the bombing of Dresden by the British and the American during World War II that destroyed over 6.5 km2 of the city centre, the Germans made a spectacular rebuilding of the area and made it a fairyland city.

We were just in time to get into Frauenkirche. Actually, we were the last people inside.
From the outside, it was also amazing to see the Semperoper and the Zwinger. We walked along the Procession of Princes (Fürstenzug) - the largest porcelain mural in the world, depicting a parade of Saxon princes and dukes to commemorate the 1000-year long reign of the Wettin dynasty. It is composed of 25,000 tiles from the porcelain manufacturer Meissen. The mural covers the exterior of the Royal Mews in Auguststrasse. It is a pitty that it lost its status of World Heritage by UNESCO.Read more

This was only the morning of the 29th because we were already leaving to Prague with a stop at the Saxonic Switzerland.
But we still went along Brühl's Terrace (Brühlsche Terrasse) which is set between the river Elbe and the Old Town and it was amazing to feel the buzz of the city and walk again the city's streets, now with full daylight and the Chinese tourists all around... Near the Zwinger, there was the car from Back to the Future...
After a coffee break and sending the postcards back home, it was time to say bye-bye Dresden...Read more